Device for handling an end of yarn or roving



June 24,1969 J. B. SHARP 1 3,451,207 I DEVICE FOR HANDLING .AN END 05 mmon novm; Filedsept. 26. 1966 Sheet I of 2 .To/m B. 5114/? P,

IN vs/vro/e June24 1969 J.YB.I SHARP 3,451,207

.DEVICE FOR HANDLING AN END OF YARN OR ROVING Filed Sept. 26. 1966 Sheet2 of 2 JOHN B. SHHEP,

United States Patent 3,451,207 DEVICE FOR HANDLING AN END OF YARN 0RROVING John Beverley Sharp, Mirlield, Yorkshire, England, assignor toWool Industries Research Association, a company of Great Britain,Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man Filed Sept. 26, 1966, Ser. No.581,999

g Claims priority, application Great Britain, Oct. 27, 1965,

45,415/ 65; Feb. 1, 1966, 4,390/66 Int. Cl. D0lh 7/68 US. CI. 57-34 I 9Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention concerns a device forgathering a free end of yarn or roving and delivering it to apredetermined position while simultaneously introducing twist thereinto,particularly, though by no means exclusively, suitable for practise oncap spinning frames as a means of ensuring automatic continuation ofspinning after a yarn break and of automatic joining of the yarn end tothe spinning bobbin after a change of bobbin or of roving.

According to the invention an apparatus for gathering a free end of yarnor roving and delivering it to a predetermined position whilesimultaneously introducing twist thereinto comprises of providing acurrent of air which follows a spiral path, arranging for the lowpressure end of said current of air to be situated in the region whencethe end is to be gathered, whereby the end is sucked into the currentand conveyed thereby, and arranging for the high pressure end of thecurrent to be directed so as to deliver the end to said predeterminedposition.

Also according to the invention is a device comprising an open-endedtube or duct of circular cross-section, means for injecting air into thetube adjacent one end thereof in a direction having a substantialcomponent in the direction of the axis of the tube and at a positionolfset from any diametral plane of the tube, whereby an air current isestablished through the tube which follows a spiral path at least on thedownstream side of said air injecting means.

The invention will be further apparent from the following descriptionwith reference to the several figures of the accompanying drawings,which show, by way of example only, one form of device for practisingthe method of the invention and one manner in which the device may beutilised on a cap spinning frame.

Of the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a top plan view of the device;

FIG. 2 shows a front elevation of the device;

FIG. 3 shows a side elevation of the device;

FIG. 4 shows a bottom plan view of the device;

FIG. 5 shows an axial section of the device; and

FIG. 6 shows a side elevation of a cap spinning frame incorporating thedevice of FIGS. 1-5.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly FIGS. 1-5, it willbe seen that the device, generally indicated by the reference numeral 10essentially comprises a length of tube 11 of circular cross-section. Theupper end of the tube 11 is of tapered form as-indicated at 11a,

' for a reason which will be apparent hereinafter.

"ice

An air injection tube 12 is provided and communicates with the interiorof the tube 11 at a position slightly below the upper end thereof. Thetube 12 is inclined to the axis of the tube 11 but nevertheless has asubstantial directional component in the direction of the axis of thetube 11. The tube 12 communicates with the tube 11 at a position offsetfrom any diametral plane of the tube 11, as clearly seen from FIGS. 1-5.

The cross-section of the tube 12 is restricted at the approach to itsjunction with the tube 11, so that air injected into the tube 11 entersthe latter through a relatively narrow slot.

A cylindrical sleeve 13 formed from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) isdisposed within the tube 11 to form a lining therein. The sleeve 13extends slightly beyond the tapered end of the tube 11 as indicated at13a, and has an aperture therein which is in register with the slot ofthe air injection tube 12.

In use when air is fed into the tube 11 through the injection tube 12 acurrent of air is established through the tube '11 which provides asuction effect at the tapered end of the tube 11 and which follows aspiral path in that part of the tube 11 downstream from the injectiontube 12, on account of the disposition of the air stream entering thetube 11.

Referring now to FIG. 6, it will be seen that the cap spinning framecomprises back rollers 20, front rollers 21 and a bobbin 22 with cap 23,in known manner, the yarn guide normally located between the frontrollers 21 and cap 23 being omitted. It should be noted that the rollers20 and 21 are so disposed that the angle A between the roving R and thehorizontal is that generally used in high angle cap spinning.

The device 10 is disposed between the front rollers 21 and cap 23 in themanner shown on the drawing, with its tapered upper end 11a disposedbetween the rollers 21 adjacent the exit from the nip therebetween. Theyarn being spun from the roving R passes from the front rollers 21,through the tube 11, which serves as a guide, and onto the bobbin 22.

At the commencement of and throughout the spinning operation air underpressure is introduced into the tube 1 1 through the injection tube 12.

The tube 11 is arranged with one end at the nip as described above, andthe other over the cap 23. Thus air issuing from the lower end of thetube 11 blows almost vertically downwards onto the cap over the bobbin.

The air for the inlet tube 12 may be tapped off a main feed pipe runningalong the frame behind a series of the devices 10 for all the spinningunits on the frame.

Now, at the commencement of spinning or upon occurrence of a break inthe yarn the device 10 acts in the following manner. Firstly, itcollects the yarn end by suction as it emerges from the front spinningrollers. This avoids lapping of the yarn round the front rollers, spinners doubles or the like. The device 10 then carries this collected yarnend downwards with a motion that tends to gyrate it round the cap. Thefree end of the yarn is then caught by the part of the bobbin exposedbelow the cap. Simultaneously with the carrying of the yarn downwards,the device 10 inserts twist into the yarn before it reaches the bobbin.The yarn is then strong enough to withstand the impulses of tension whenit is taken up by the bobbin.

Twist is inserted in the yarn, when one end of the yarn is free, by thespiralling rotation of the air down the tube 11. The flow of air downthe tube causes the yarn to be blown downwards'over the cap, and therotation of the air stream tends to wrap the yarn round the bobbin.

If necessary or desirable the air suction and air rotation in the tubecould be produced by other methods.

For example, a separate air feed might be used for each requirement.Again these two actions might be produced by placing an inner cylinderinside the tube 11 over a part of its length and by injecting the airstream into the annulus so formed.

To ensure a yarn end being connected to an empty bobbin it may benecessary additionally to roughen the barrel to some extent, the normalbobbin barrel being usually too smooth to catch the yarn, or to providesome means such as a disc of rough material 24 on the bottom of thespindle.

The amount of twist inserted and rotation imparted and the strength ofsuction at the tube entrance can be adjusted by varying the tube design,the air input, and the angle of the inlet.

The PTFE sleeve 13 reduces friction between the roving or yarn and theinside of the tube 11 and prevents the accumulation of grease in thetube as would otherwise occur when spinning certain yarns such as woolfor ex.- ample.

It will be appreciated that it is not intended to limit the invention tothe above example, many variations such as might readily occur to oneskilled in the art, being possible, without departing from the scopethereof.

Thus, for example, the tube 11 need not be straight, but could besomewhat curved enabling its use on a cap spinning frame with a lowerangle A.

In certain cases, the device, which will normally be made of metal, neednot have a lining sleeve, or it could be internally coated directly witha PTFE material. Of course, the device-may be formed from materialsother than metal such as a nylon material, for example.

When a PTFE lining sleeve is provided in a metal tube such sleeve may beterminated behind the extremity of the downstream end of the tube, andthe tube grounded, to prevent the build-up of static.

Again, for example, the device could obviously be used on a centrifugalpot spinner to ensure an automatic continuation of spinning following abreak. The device might also be used advantageously on ring spinningframes and fiyer frames, though in such cases further auxiliaryequipment would be necessary to hold the yarn end connected with thebobbin immediately after occurrence of a break to enable the two ends tobe pieced together. In such cases the device might be arranged to conveythe end from the front rollers and wrap it round the held end to effectthe piecing up automatically.

This device could also be introduced between the delivery and the takeup point of a yarn produced by a system of break spinning."

What I claim is:

1. A device for gathering a free end of yarn or roving and delivering itto a predetermined position while simultaneously introducing twist intoit, comprising a tube of circular cross-section open at both ends, meansfor injecting an air jet into said tube through an aperture in its walladjacent to one of its ends, the direction of said air jet forming anangle with respect to the longitudinal axis of said tube but said airjet having a component parallel to the tube axis, and said air jet beingparallel to but offset from a diametral plane of said tube, whereby anair current is established through the tube which follows a spiral pathat least on the downstream side of said air injecting means, and theupstream end of said tube adjacent to said air injecting means istapered to provide an elongated generally rectangular entry.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said air injecting meanscomprises an air injection tube communicating with said open-ended tubevia said aperture, said injection tube at least at the position ofcommunication being inclined to the axis of said open-ended tube buthaving a component in the direction of said axis and being olfset fromand parallel to a diametral plane of said openended tube.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein said tube is formed of metal.

4. A device according to claim 3 including a lining sleeve of PTFEmaterial extending within said tube over at least a part of its length,said sleeve having an opening in its wall in registry with saidaperture.

5. A device according to claim 3 including a coating of PTFE materialdirectly on the inner surface of said tube.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein said tube is straight.

7. A device according to claim 1 wherein said tube is curved.

8. A device according to claim 2 wherein the direction of said injectiontube at the position of communication may be resolved into tangentialand axial components only.

9. Cap spinning apparatus having front rollers and a spinning bobbin,characterized by the provision of a device according to claim 1 disposedto collect an end of yarn or roving from the front rollers and deliversame to the spinning bobbin.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,838,682 12/1931 Ingham 57-742,206,834 7/1940 Burkholder 57-74 XR 3,094,374 6/1963 Smith.

3,340,684 9/1967 Shichman 57-34 2,783,609 3/1957 Breen 57-140 2,831,3134/1958 Burns et al.

3,022,566 2/1962 Daniels et al.

3,079,746 3/1963 Field 57-144 XR 3,116,588 1/1964 Breen et al.

3,217,482 11/1965 Baer 57-160 XR 3,286,896 11/1966 Kinney 57-34 XR3,303,639 2/1967 Carter et al. 57-34 XR 3,309,855 3/1967 Stoll et al.57-34 3,328,946 7/1967 Schumann 57-160 XR 3,334,477 8/1967 Morin et al.57-34 XR DONALD E. WATKINS, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

